Fire-indicator



(No Model.) Y

M. W. ILES.

PIRE INDICATOR.

170.477,759. Patented June 28, 1892.

inventor".

inw

ing, this plant may be NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MALVERN WV. ILES, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

FIRE-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 477,7 59, dated J une28, 1892.

Application filed April l, 1892. Serial No. 427,328. (No model.) v I Toall whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MALVERN W. ILES, of the city of Denver, county ofArapahoe, and State of Colorado, have invented acertain new and usefuldevice for Detecting Fires in Smoke-Mains, of which the following is atrue and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates tothe plant used in connection with metallurgicalfurnaces for the purpose of saving the metallic fumes and particlesdriven off from the smelters or other furnaces with the gases, and,generallyspeaksaid to consist of a prolonged flue or smoke-main systemthrough which the gases, tbc., are drawn and in which they are cooledpreparatory to being forced through bags or screens, Which effect thetinal separation of the solid and metallic particles from the gases.Large quantities of dust and fume are deposited in the smoke-mains, andas this dust is exceedingly combustible it is very liable to catch firefrom time to time, and the fire, if not checked promptly, causes greatdestruction and loss.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and eflicient deviceby which a fire in the dust collected in the main can be promptlydetected; and in consists in aseries of fusible metallic rods or bars,preferably of lead, which are inserted through the side of the main insuch a Way as to lie Wholly or in part Within that part of the mainWhere the dust accumulates, these rods havinghandles,which extend on theoutside of the main and by which the rods can be moved. By placing therods as described above they are more or less buried in and covered bythe accumulated dust, and I have found that the heat of this dust whenignited is sufficient to melt a leaden bar, and a Watchman, therefore,examining the bars from time to time and removing them by means of theirhandles can at once detect the presence of a tire in any part of themain, because when he moves the bar which is immersed in the burningdust he Will find the end is melted off. The fire in the main istherefore promptly located and detected and immediate steps taken toextinguish it, thus preventing damage, which would follow in the case ofa general tire.

Reference is now had to the drawings, in

Which my invention is illustrated, and in Which- Figure l is anelevation of a bag-house or screen-house and of the smoke-main leadingthereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a part of thesmoke-main provided With hoppers; Fig. 3, a cross-section through themasonry dustchamber which forms the first part of the smoke-main, andFig. 4L a perspective view of one of the lire-detecting bars.

A is the dust-chamber, which communicates at one end with the smelters(not shown) and at the other with the sheetsiron main, (indicated at B,B', D, E, F, and G,) Cbeinga blower or fan used for forcing the smokethrough the sheetiron main. It Will be understood that a portion, andonly a very small portion, of the main is indicated in the drawings,which might rather be taken as a diagram than a view of a practicableplant. At intervals throughout the length of the main I provide openingstherein, as indicated1 at a, b, aj, and fi, and through these openings Iinsert the me tallic bar J, the shape of which must be such that it willextend in part, at least, into that portion of the main which is usuallycovered by the accumulated dust and fume, as indicated at K. The handlesJ of the rods J extend to the outside of the main and are placed so thatthey can be conveniently taken hold of and the rods moved by theWatchman. lVhen the dust K catches fire at any point Where thedetector-bar is provided, the end of the bar is promptiy melted off bythe heat generated, and the watchman, therefore, in taking hold of thehandles J is able to tell at once of the presence of re and to take suchmeasures as will insure its prompt extinguishment.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with a screen system f'or the gases from metallurgicalfurnaces and the mains leading thereto, a series of fusible metallicrods J, extending' into those portions of the main Where dust and fumeaccumulate and having handles J, extending through the sides of themain.

MALVERN W. ILES.

Vitnesses:

C. T. DYE, J. I-I. TUCKER.

IOO

